


Learning Curve

by theHunter_and_theNinja



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Fluff, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-07
Updated: 2019-11-07
Packaged: 2021-01-24 21:37:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21345088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theHunter_and_theNinja/pseuds/theHunter_and_theNinja
Summary: Based on a prompt I got from @scramblingminds on Tumblr.Prompt: “maybe jesus being so smitten that Daryl is learning asl so he can talk with connie and that Daryl is making friends after losing rick and it's just a fluffy mess. Also jesus totally already knew sign language and is helping him learn?“
Relationships: Connie & Daryl Dixon, Daryl Dixon/Jesus, Paul Rovia & Connie
Comments: 3
Kudos: 72





	Learning Curve

**Author's Note:**

> I know it was supposed to be all fluff, but I am unable to write anything without a little angst in it.
> 
> Either way, I hope y’all like it. :D

Paul had first noticed the friendship forming between Daryl and Connie when they returned from searching for Henry who’d gone after Lydia. Paul had wanted to go, but he was still recovering from being stabbed by the skins in the graveyard. Daryl was very firm with him on staying put and healing.

“The last thing we need is you dying because you couldn’t sit still,” Daryl had told him when he’d protesting being benched.

Connie was walking so close to Daryl that if he wasn’t already Paul’s boyfriend and very gay, he’d have been jealous. There was a new familiarity there and he watched as Daryl made sure to make eye contact with Connie before speaking and using little gestures to help get his point across.

Paul honestly hadn’t seen them getting along very well because communication wasn’t exactly Daryl’s strong suit even with people who could hear him. It seems, however, that Connie’s deafness was having the opposite effect on Daryl. They were communicating better than Paul had ever imagined Daryl communicating with anyone outside his closest family. Connie and her group were still extremely new, yet Daryl was treating Connie like she was an old friend.

It made Paul very happy that he was embracing her because he’d had a lot of trouble back at the beginning getting people to accept his adoptive deaf sister, Jane. They’d been turned away from many groups because of her disability. The people who turned them away thought she was too much trouble to try and protect. They saw her to already be as dead as one of the biters. Their experiences had resulted in them going at it alone for a very long time.

They had eventually found a group willing to take them in, but it hadn’t ended well. A herd had come through their camp while they were sleeping. They’d all ran, but one of the other men was lagging behind and in order to save himself, shot Jane in the leg and let the walkers take her while he escaped. As a defense for his actions, he’d argued that she wasn’t going to last long anyway.

Paul had killed for the first time that day, snapping the man’s neck before he could even process what was happening. The rest of the group had abandoned him after that, leaving him to mourn his sister’s death alone. They had spat at him that they didn’t want to travel with a murderer. He was lucky that he’d found the Hilltop only a week later, because otherwise he probably wouldn’t have made it.

Paul was currently sitting on the top step of his trailer watching Daryl try to hold a basic conversation using only sign language. He was getting pretty good at it too. Daryl could understand a lot of basic things she was saying, but he still sometimes had trouble remembering how to respond. He’d found a book out on a run and had been meticulously studying if ever since.

Paul had told Daryl about his sister and her deafness, but he hasn't asked for help yet. Maybe Daryl didn’t want to awaken any difficult memories for Paul or something. Either way, Daryl had never expressed this level of interest in someone so quickly before. She was also the first person that he’d even expressed an interest in becoming friends with since Rick died.

Daryl had been completely devastated by Rick’s death. He spent almost a year and a half alone in the woods with only a puppy he rescued for company. Paul had finally dragged him back to Hilltop by scolding him about abandoning the rest of his family. Daryl had hung his head, knowing his boyfriend was right and followed him home. Daryl still went out on runs and he would often look for Rick when he did, but he wasn’t living out there alone anymore.

Paul watched as Daryl told Connie goodbye and left, walking towards Paul and their trailer. Connie went in the other direction towards her sister who helping Maggie in the community gardens. Daryl looked mildly pleased with himself as he made his way over to Paul and he smiled as his boyfriend approached.

“You’re getting really good at sign language,” Paul commented once Daryl was closer.

Daryl grinned lightly, “Thanks.”

“I only wish I’d met more people like you back when my sister was still alive,” Paul mused sadly.

His sister probably would’ve made it if they’d just been able to find a group of people that wouldn’t look down on her because she was deaf. She’d been a skilled martial artist, but because she was deaf everyone they met saw her as a burden or a dead woman walking.

Daryl sighed deeply as he sat down next to his boyfriend on the stairs. Paul had told him years ago about his sister’s murder and he knew it still hurt Paul. Daryl had decided not to ask Paul for help learning sign language because he was afraid it would be too painful for his boyfriend. He was going to have to ask Paul for help soon though because his book only contained the basics.

Daryl pulled Paul against him, “I wish I could’ve met her, too.”

“My sister would’ve loved you,” he whispered, “She was always happy to see people who wanted to learn how to speak her language. I’ll bet it means a lot to Connie that you’re putting so much effort into making her feel welcome.”

Daryl listened silently as Paul spoke to him almost as if in a trance, the words just kind of pouring out of him.

“She was killed because she was viewed as a burden,” Paul spat, “But you treat Connie like she’s more competent than most of the people we know. I’ve never seen you trust someone so fast.”

“Neither have I,” Daryl admitted, “It was our time together looking for Henry that made me trust her. She has confidence to her that most people don’t have. She’s smart and resourceful and strong and kind. I wish more people were like her.”

“Me too,” Paul agreed, “Maybe I could help you with your sign language sometime?”

“You sure?” Daryl asked him, “I don’t want to push you to bring up old memories.”

“No, it’ll be nice to use those memories to make someone else feel welcome,” Paul explained, “just like how I wished the people we met before Jane died would have treated her.”

Daryl nodded in understanding and kiss his boyfriend on the temple. Paul leaned against him as they sat there, just enjoying each other's presence for now.

* * *

Paul couldn’t help but laugh when Daryl signed something completely inappropriate while trying to say an innocent phrase. Daryl had realized what he’d said only seconds later but it was too late. Paul had taught Daryl some more sexual signs for fun one afternoon and that had apparently been a mistake. He’d wondered if it would help their communication in the bedroom if Daryl didn’t necessarily have to talk to say something, but now it had come back to haunt them.

“That’s not what I meant, asshole,” Daryl glared at him, his face beat red.

Daryl was more embarrassed than anything else. He was also really glad the slip up had occurred with his boyfriend and not with Connie.

“I know, but it’s too funny,” Paul said as he gasped for breath.

_“Fuck you,”_ Daryl signed at his boyfriend.

“I see you’ve got your curse words down,” Paul giggled, leaning back against their kitchen counter.

Daryl had been trying to say something to the effect of Maggie had given birth to her son a few years ago, but accidentally swapped the sign for orgasm with the sign for birth. Accidentally signing “orgasm” instead of “birth” to Connie could’ve been massively bad since Daryl normally spoke to Connie out in public and her friends could all understand sign language.

Daryl covered his face with his hands to hide his face and Paul finally took pity on him. Paul walked over to his boyfriend and pulled his hands away from his face.

“I’d love to _orgasm_ with you right now,” Paul whispered, pressing leg between Daryl’s thighs.

Daryl moaned and kissed Paul before dragging him off to their bedroom. Daryl didn’t learn anymore sign language that day.

* * *

Paul and Connie were sitting across from each other at one of Hilltop’s community dinners talking casually about their lives before the turn. Paul told her of his budding martial arts studio while she told him many of her tales of exposing corrupt politicians through her work as a journalist. Paul couldn’t help but be extremely impressed with all that Connie had accomplished during her short time of being a journalist before the turn began.

_“Wow,”_ Paul signed, _“You’re amazing.”_

Connie rolled her eyes, _“I was only doing what was right.”_

_“But seriously, you exposing horrible people the way you did was probably dangerous.”_

_“I guess so,”_ she admitted, _“But I didn’t really worry about it too much. I was already a black deaf woman in America, I was kind of used to it.”_

Paul didn’t know at all what that felt like since he was easily able to hide his queerness around bad people. Your race is something you can’t hide ever and he wished that she’d never had to deal with any of what she did.

_“I hope you feel more welcome here than you did in the old world,”_ he signed.

_“There are still people like that, but for the most part nobody really cares much anymore. It’s become more about the fact that we’re all survivors and less about race.”_

Paul nodded his understanding and was about to respond when he felt someone come sit beside them. He glanced over and was happy to see that it was Daryl.

“Hey babe,” Paul greeted him with a kiss which Daryl happily returned.

_“What are you guys talking about?”_ Daryl asked setting his plate down on the table.

_“Connie was just telling me about her muckraking days,”_ Paul said and signed.

_“Her what?”_ Daryl looked at him confused.

_“Her journalism days before the turn where she exposed corrupt politicians for a living,”_ Paul explained realizing Daryl probably didn’t know what muckraking was.

Daryl finally nodded in understanding, _“I didn’t know anything about politics before. Never even voted.”_

_“Really?”_ Connie asked in disbelief.

_“Yeah, my brother didn’t care to go near law enforcement very much at all and I stuck with him,”_ Daryl revealed signing as best he could,_ “Besides, he would’ve beat my ass for voting the way I wanted to.”_

_“What do you mean?”_ Connie said looking at him.

Daryl ducked his head in shame for his brother’s beliefs knowing they’d hurt the woman across from him.

_“I loved my brother, but he was a racist, sexist, homophobic bastard. I never even told him about me being gay,”_ Daryl half signed and half spoke.

_“You are not your brother,”_ she signed firmly.

Daryl nodded and gave her a half smile in return.

Paul was content to watch the whole exchange, observing his boyfriend communicating as best he could with Connie in her language. He still had to say some words verbally so that he could get his entire point across, but he’d come a long way in a short amount of time. It proved to Paul just how badly Daryl wanted to be able to communicate with Connie.

It made Paul’s heart melt whenever Daryl shyly asked him to help him learn something or to practice sign language with him. They’d even taken to using sign language at home when it was just between them to help Daryl learn the language faster. Paul was quick to notice that Daryl was the only one other than him making a true effort to learn sign language for Connie. It made him love Daryl even more, if that was possible.

The three continued their conversation for a long while, the sun dipping below the tree line before they decided to call it a night. Paul and Daryl made their way back to their trailer holding hands. Daryl could feel Paul’s eyes on him and he glanced over, the dying light showing off Paul’s smitten expression.

“What?” Daryl asked him, his eyebrows furrowing.

“I love you,” Paul told him.

“I love you too, but why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden. I thought the honeymoon phase was over.”

Paul chuckled, “I love how you’re so committed to learning sign language for her. Nobody else in all of Hilltop is putting at much effort into talking to her in her own language as you. It just reminds me of how selfless and amazing you are.”

“Stop,” Daryl mumbled, his cheeks turning slightly pink.

Standing just below the steps to their trailer, Paul stopped Daryl.

“I mean it,” Paul said firmly, “You putting this much effort into something you don’t technically have to learn is amazing. It shows who you are at your core. A kind, caring person who wants everyone to feel welcome.”

“Not everyone,” Daryl tried to deflect the compliments.

“Everyone who deserves to be treated with kindness, Gregory, Negan, and the saviors don’t count.”

Daryl shook his head and turned away. Daryl stopped trying to deflect his words and instead kissed Paul to shut him up. The things he was saying felt nice to hear, but he never had been good at taking compliments.

“Loving people is who you are Daryl,” Paul said pulling away from the kiss, “It’s who you always have been and always will be.”

Daryl tried to shake his head again, but Paul stopped him with a kiss. Instead of pressing the issue further, Paul pulled Daryl into their trailer determined to get him to take a compliment one of these days without trying to brush it off.

**Author's Note:**

> Have a fic idea you’d like to see come to life?  
Send it to me on my Tumblr: @thehunter-and-theninja


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